LEUSD to mull raising criteria

LAKE ELSINORE - Students starting high school in the fall could
face some extra requirements, involving reading, math and community
service, if the Lake Elsinore Unified School District board
approves them at its meeting tonight.

Because of stricter state standards and the new high school exit
exam students will have to pass in order to graduate starting in
2004, a committee of teachers and administrators came up with
additional graduation requirements.

The requirements will apply to students at Elsinore, Temescal
Canyon, and Ortega high schools as well as those at Tri-Valley
Community Day School and Valley Adult School.

Students who score below the 39th percentile on the Stanford
Achievement Test-Ninth Edition, would have to take an extra year of
reading.

All students in the LEUSD would also have to take Algebra I to
graduate, a subject that is required to pass the exit exam. The
number of math credits required would increase from 20 to 30.

In addition, students would have to work 40 hours during their
high school careers performing a community service, up from the 10
currently required. To accommodate the extra required credits, the
number of elective credits would decrease from 80 to 70. High
school students must have 240 credits to graduate.